1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bill handling device and a bill accommodating unit composing the bill handling device used for various game machines such as a slot machine, a pinball game machine and a card game machine and also used for a vending machine. These machines will be referred to as game machines hereinafter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each game machine described above includes a bill handling device for discriminating the validity of a bill, which has been inserted into the machine by a user, and for accommodating the bill which has been discriminated to be genuine. This type bill handling device is incorporated into the game machine. Alternatively, this type bill handling device is incorporated into a device relating to the game machine, for example, this type bill handling device is incorporated into a so-called sandwich device arranged between the game machines. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H8-123991, this type bill handling device includes: a bill validator for discriminating the validity of a bill which has been inserted into the machine by a user; and a bill accommodating device for successively accommodating the bill which has been discriminated to be genuine.
The bill validator of the above bill handling device includes: a bill detection sensor for detecting the passing of a bill; a discrimination sensor for discriminating the validity of the bill; a drive motor for conveying the bill; and a control section for controlling actuators including the drive motor and for judging the validity of the bill according to a detection signal sent from the discrimination sensor. The above bill accommodating device includes: a conveyance mechanism having a drive motor and conveyance rollers for conveying a bill, which has been judged to be genuine, to the accommodating section; and a pushing mechanism for putting the bill into the bill accommodating section so that the conveyed bills can be put on each other.
In general, the bill handling device disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 includes a control means for controlling the operation of the entire device as follows. Signals are sent and received between the bill validator and the bill accommodating device, and the validity of an inserted bill is discriminated. Further, the bill, which has been discriminated to be genuine, is conveyed, and the thus conveyed bill is accommodated in the bill accommodating section.
In this connection, in the above bill handling device, the bill validator for discriminating the validity of a bill, which has been inserted into the bill insertion slot, and the bill accommodating device are manufactured into separate bodies in many cases. Therefore, when the bill validator is incorporated into the bill accommodating device, the bill handling device can be composed. Therefore, for example, when the bill accommodating device and the bill validator are manufactured by different manufacturers, the following problems are encountered. When signals are sent and received between both the bill accommodating device and the bill validator, the protocol of the bill accommodating device and that of the bill validator must be made to agree with each other. In order to make the protocol agree with each other, it becomes necessary to rewrite the software or to provide an interface. Therefore, it takes time and labor. Further, control of the entire device such as control of sending and receiving signals between the bill validator and the bill accommodating device, control of conveying the bill and control of accommodating the bill becomes complicated.